Madim (מאדים) is the Hebrew name for the planet Mars, derived from the root ’dm meaning “to be red,” a direct reference to the planet’s ruddy appearance. In the Kabbalistic cosmology of Liber 777, Madim is the celestial sphere assigned to the fifth Sephirah, Geburah, embodying the principle of divine severity, judgment, and the raw, unbridled force of destruction that clears the way for creation.

Position on the Tree of Life

Madim corresponds to the Sephirah Geburah (Severity), the fifth emanation on the Pillar of Severity. This sphere is the channel for the dynamic, limiting, and purging energies of the divine, acting as the necessary counterbalance to the expansive mercy of Chesed. As the “Heaven of Assiah” at this step, Madim represents the most material and active manifestation of this martial force within the physical universe.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Astrologically, Madim is the classical Mars, governing the signs Aries and Scorpio. Its nature is hot, dry, choleric, and masculine. In the Kabbalistic system, it is the source of all conflict, courage, ambition, and assertive action. The metal associated with Madim is iron, and its day is Tuesday (Martes in Spanish, Mardi in French).

Historical context

The identification of Mars with Geburah is a cornerstone of Hermetic Qabalah, rooted in the Hebrew Bible where God is often described as a “man of war” (Ish Milchamah). The planet’s name, Madim, appears in the Talmud (e.g., Shabbat 156a) as one of the seven planets influencing the world. In the Sefer Yetzirah, the “letter” of Mars is Peh (פ), the mouth, representing the fiery, expressive, and consuming power of speech and judgment. Medieval Jewish astrologers like Abraham Ibn Ezra detailed the malefic influence of Madim, associating it with bloodshed, war, and fever. The Qabalists of the Renaissance, particularly in the works of Pico della Mirandola and later in the Zohar’s commentaries, solidified the link between the Sephirah of Din (Judgment) and the red planet. In the Golden Dawn tradition, Madim is the sphere of the Archangel Kamael (the “Burning One”) and the angelic order of Seraphim, the “Fiery Serpents.”

In Liber 777, Madim appears at step 5 (Geburah) in the column “The Heavens of Assiah,” placing it as the specific planetary intelligence governing the most material expression of the fifth Sephirah’s power. It is the red, martial heaven that rules over the physical world’s conflicts, wars, and all acts of decisive, forceful change.